M4 Incompatible Software Version Error

[jtolson]

Hey everyone, I know it's pretty dead in here and this hardware is old enough to buy alcohol... But figured I'd give it a shot. I just bought a 1990 RX-7 with a motec M4. I downloaded M4 EMP V6.20D, and it gives an incompatible software error. So then I downloaded 6.13 and it tells me that the ECU has 6.2 software. I'm not sure if there's an experimental build that has been forgotten or some way to force communication without losing the tune and starting from scratch.

Any help? Here's the message I get with 6.20D:

"INCOMPATIBLE SOFTWARE

The ECU software is the correct version but is not compatible with the PC software

The ECU software may be a special version

Update the ECU software or use the correct version of E.M.P."

[Stephen Dean]

Hi James,

Try the M2R EMP.

[jtolson]

Thanks Stephen, I'm not sure what happened here. When I loaded m2r it loaded and said that the ECU was 6.20, and I should update. It did allow me to view the file. Then I tried M4 6.20D again and it works... Idk if there was a COM error or some weird sequence of events but I've been able to access the ECU several times now after rebooting everything.

[Stephen Dean]

Hi James,

The M2R EMP is a more recent release of software (it's only 12 years old, compared to 15 for the M4 EMP) so there may have been a more compatible comms driver installed with the M2R EMP that has overwritten the included M4 drivers. The M4 EMP will also be using those drivers so now it can connect using them. This is only speculation though.

[jtolson]

Just for follow up, I was able to get this talking. I still occasionally get incompatible software errors, but the M4 is running version 6.20. I can adjust the tune, close the software, open the software and get incompatible errors. It seems like I have to reboot the software to fix this, it's very random. I assume it may be due to using a serial to USB adapter and/or a virtual machine.

[Stephen Dean]

Hi,

We do not recommend using a VM for the EMP as there are too many variables involved in the communications.

I have been experiencing similar sorts of issues when communicating with the older ECU's as well, I think that there have just been too many changes to the way that Windows works and the drivers needed for the Serial communications for complete compatibility.

[Kalns]

Just for follow up, I was able to get this talking. I still occasionally get incompatible software errors, but the M4 is running version 6.20. I can adjust the tune, close the software, open the software and get incompatible errors. It seems like I have to reboot the software to fix this, it's very random. I assume it may be due to using a serial to USB adapter and/or a virtual machine.

Have you tried dos box ? I had great results with it and even managed to get it to full screen.. I was able to use usb to com cable and also laptops com port for coms..

[jtolson]

Just for follow up, I was able to get this talking. I still occasionally get incompatible software errors, but the M4 is running version 6.20. I can adjust the tune, close the software, open the software and get incompatible errors. It seems like I have to reboot the software to fix this, it's very random. I assume it may be due to using a serial to USB adapter and/or a virtual machine.

Have you tried dos box ? I had great results with it and even managed to get it to full screen.. I was able to use usb to com cable and also laptops com port for coms..

I just managed to get it setup and configured. It is running 6.20EMP on my windows 11 machine successfully, but I haven't had a chance to connect to the car. I'll report back in after some time using it to report stability vs the VM.

For reference I followed the config instructions in a post here:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4503

[jtolson]

Also, I was happily surprised when I discovered that the Motec i2 software can open the old M4 log file. There wouldn't happen to be a modern tuning suite that opens the old m4 tune files would there? Interpolation is very limited in the old software so it's a pain to edit all the cells manually to smooth them.

Edit:funny enough I discovered this on accident, but I just saw there's another post from a week ago where this is mentioned. Gotta love coincidence

[Stephen Dean]

You can convert upwards from the M4 files into an Mx00 ECU using ECU Manager, but you cannot revert back to the M4 from ECU Manager.